A typical PGA includes a silicon chip, a package including conductive and nonconductive components and a plurality of pins depending downward from a bottom surface of the package. Conventionally, electrical connectors for PGA's include a base housing having an array of terminal receiving cavities, a plurality of terminals mounted in the terminal receiving cavities and a cover slidably mounted on the base housing. The cover has through holes therein adapted for insertion of the pins of the PGA therethrough. In operation, the cover is initially positioned in a first or pin receiving position. The pins of the PGA are then inserted through the holes in the cover. Some type of actuator is then typically actuated in order to slide the cover and the PGA with its associated pins linearly so that the pins engage the terminals contained within the base housing. An example of a connector of this type is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2689325.
The typical terminal of the connector of this type has a solder tail for soldering within a hole in a printed circuit board and of a contact piece for engaging a pin of the PGA. An engaging or retention portion is positioned between the solder tail and the contact piece for engaging the base housing in order to retain the terminal in the base housing.
With the typical electrical connector for the PGA package, each terminal is formed into the configuration in which the contact piece, the engaging portion and the solder tail are linear as set forth above. Therefore, the terminal length is generally long, and the thickness of the base housing is generally similar to the length of the contact piece and the engaging portion. As a result, a reduction in the height of the overall electrical connector is generally difficult without also shrinking the height of the terminal.
In addition, it is very difficult to inspect the solder joints associated with each of the terminals of this type of electrical connector.